The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

AFTER generations of living, building and passing down land without formal ownership, scores of Moore’s Island residents received deeds of conveyance on Friday in what the government said marked a turning point for economic security on the Abaco island.

Prime Minister Philip Davis led the official presentation, describing the long-delayed regularisation of land ownership as a step towards stability for families who had occupied and developed land for decades without legal title.

Speaking at a ceremony on the island, Mr Davis said the government delivered more than 200 conveyances, ending years of uncertainty that restricted residents’ ability to borrow, invest or transfer property to their children.

“This moment matters because it is about people, real families, real names and real lives,” Mr Davis said. “Today, the law finally meets the reality.”

He said the issue stemmed from historic gaps in documentation across Family Island communities, where land ownership — often inherited informally — never translated into a legally recognised title, undermining long-term wealth creation.

Mr Davis said work on Moore’s Island began during his earlier tenure as deputy prime minister, when land occupied by residents was acquired in the public interest and vested in the state to allow proper conveyance. He said the process stalled after the Progressive Liberal Party left office but resumed when the party returned to government, with agencies instructed to complete surveys, documentation and approvals.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the distribution corrected a longstanding injustice that prevented families from fully benefiting from assets they already controlled in practice.

“When you cannot prove title, you cannot easily borrow, invest, improve or pass assets on,” Mr Cooper said. “Land means empowerment.”

He encouraged residents to use the deeds to pursue opportunities in tourism, fishing and small business, adding that a secure title formed the basis for generational wealth.

Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal Keith Bell said his ministry prepared more than 300 conveyances for Moore’s Island as part of the exercise, with no cost to recipients.

Mr Bell said residents would receive their original conveyances immediately, while government agencies assist with Inland Revenue tax certificates and the recording of deeds at the Registrar General’s Department.

“This is not mere paperwork,” Mr Bell said. “This is dignity, certainty and justice long overdue.”

He said the conveyances provide marketable and bankable title, allowing residents to build, expand and invest with confidence.

District Administrator Florence Pratt-Myers said the outcome followed a March 2025 commitment by Mr Davis to resolve the matter “in short order,” with survey work and administrative processing completed over subsequent months.

She said the delivery showed that promises made to Family Island communities were being honoured through action.

Member of Parliament for Central and South Abaco, John Pinder, said the conveyances would allow Moore’s Island families to secure financing and protect their property for future generations.

He said economic empowerment begins with owning — and proving ownership of — the land on which families live and build.

During the ceremony, several residents were singled out during the presentation, including a 90-year-old who had never held a deed prior to Friday’s event, before wider distribution continued.

Mr Davis said the government would continue assisting residents through the final recording stage to ensure all deeds are properly registered.

He said similar land regularisation efforts are under way in other communities, including Fox Hill and Marsh Harbour, adding that Moore’s Island represents another step in a broader national push to settle longstanding land claims.